1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for recording information on a recording medium and/or reproducing the information recorded on the recording medium, and in particular to an information recording-reproducing apparatus in which a card-like or sheet-like recording medium and a head unit for information-processing the medium are reciprocally moved relative to each other to thereby accomplish recording and/or reproduction of information.
Such an information recording-reproducing apparatus can suitably utilized as an optical information recording-reproducing apparatus or a magnetic information recording-reproducing apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Various forms such as a card-like form, a disk-like form and a tape-like form are known as the forms of a recording medium used to record information by the use of a light beam and to reproduce the thus recorded information by the use of a light beam. In particular, an optical information recording medium formed into a card-like shape (hereinafter referred to as the "optical card") is expecting a great demand as a recording medium which is easy to manufacture, excellent in portability and good in accessibility.
In the optical card, information tracks are formed straight and a number of such information tracks are arranged parallel to one another on a predetermined area of the surface of the card. Accordingly, in an information recording-reproducing apparatus using the optical card as a recording medium, a light beam spot is continuously moved relative to, and along, the surface of the optical card in the direction of the information tracks, and at this time, recording or reproduction of information is effected. After a predetermined distance of movement, the light beam spot is moved relatively over a predetermined distance on the surface of the optical card in a direction across the direction of the information tracks, and at this time, recording or reproduction of information is not effected. Then, the light beam spot is again continuously moved relatively in the direction of the information tracks, and at this time, recording or reproduction of information is effected, and thereafter, in a similar manner, the relative movement in the direction of the information tracks and the relative movement in the direction across the direction of the information tracks are alternately repeated a desired number of times.
As an information recording-reproducing apparatus which effects the operation as described above, there is conceivable an apparatus of the type in which an optical card is held on a supporting table (hereinafter referred to as the "shuttle") and the shuttle is reciprocally moved in the direction of the information tracks, while, on the other hand, a head unit for forming a light beam spot on the information tracks of the optical card is moved in a direction across the information tracks.
As regards the optical card, a person usually must carry it with him or her, feed it to a predetermined holding position on the shuttle of the apparatus of the described type during recording or reproduction and further take it out from said predetermined holding position.
Now, in recent years, enhanced speed of information recording and reproduction has been desired and therefore, in the information recording-reproducing apparatus of the above-described type, it is desirable that the optical card be held accurately and firmly at a predetermined position on the shuttle so that no positional deviation of the optical card may occur when the shuttle is reciprocally moved at a high speed and when the direction of movement of the shuttle is reversed.
However, when a person performs the operation of directly positioning the optical card on the shuttle, the then operating conditions will become very irregular, and this leads to a problem that the person cannot cause the optical card to be held at a proper position and it will adversely affect the recording and/or reproduction. There is also a problem in that the operation performed by the person is complicated and the optical card is readily damaged during the operation.